Advice needed please! Booked caravan, paid deposit, no confirmation?

[fleaboobash]

I found a caravan to rent on a rental site and contacted the owner to book our holiday for next August. We sent a £100 deposit cheque which the owner cashed on 20th August.

I contacted her on cashing the cheque and asked for a confirmation. She asked for my address and said she would send it to me. Nothing arrived so at the beginning of September I got in touch to ask when she would send confirmation of our booking and she said she doesn't send confirmation, she emails it so she asked my email address and said she would do it.

Last week I contacted her to ask why she hadnt emailed confirmation and she apologised and said her internet was down at the moment and she would send it soon.

The site she advertised on seems legitimate with pictures of the caravan and owners pay to register their vans on it but I'm getting a bit worried as we have no proof other than the fact we sent a cheque. Am I right to be worried? Does anyone know the legal view on deposits for holidays? I'm tempted to ask for my deposit back as she doesn't seem too forthcoming with anything.

Help!

Thanks in advance.

[Guest Old_andrew2018]

Any progress

[sailor sam]

Hi there,

 

What did it say in the booking information about paying a deposit? Did it mention anything about confirmations?

[fleaboobash]

Hi All, Sorry been offline for a little bit hence the delay in replying.

Sailor Sam, there was no Booking Information to read, I contacted the owner of the caravan through the website Kingfisher Caravan Park, Ingoldmells : Skegness ( that link is the actual one we supposedly booked) and she asked what dates we required etc and said we needed to pay a deposit of £100 which we did by cheque sent to her home address.

She cashed the cheque on August 20th and when I texted and asked for confirmation she texted back and asked what address to send it to so obviously I gave her my home address. When I enquired to the whereabouts of the confirmation she said she doesnt send confirmation by post just email so she took my email address.No email confirmation arrived either so mid september I texted her again (she doesnt answer the phone if I ring, even from other peoples numbers) and asked why and she texted back saying her internet was down.

I have tried to phone her numerous times this week via phone and text and am getting no reply. I texted to ask her to send me a handwritten confirmation of the Booking and of her receipt of my cheque but nothing.

 

Sorry to go on but I have tried to contact citizens advice but cannot get through to them at all. I dont know my rights here. I really want to ask for my deposit back but (if she answers the phone) she will just say that the deposit is non refundable Im sure, even though surely no contract has been made becasue she has never sent confirmation??

 

Please help this is not alot of money really but its a big part of the kids holiday and we cant afford to lose it.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Lisa

[sailor sam]

For the time being, I suggest you contact the website and see what their take is on this beacuse they are acting as the 'agent' for the caravan owner.

 

At the end of the day, you should get a written confirmation of your holiday and a receipt for your deposit. If you choose to cancel because of the failure of the caravan owner to provide you with these, then they would nave to refund your deposit because you would have a valid reason to cancel. But I would try my suggestion first.

[fleaboobash]

Thanks Sam, I'll try that first and then report back

[fleaboobash]

Heres the reply I got from the website. Looks promising, i'll let you know what comes of it.

 

Hi Lisa,

 

I am going to try and get in touch with UserID 341 to ask for an

explanation to why she has taken so long to give you confirmation of your

booking.

 

I will update you on her response in the next couple of days. I can assure

you I will chase this up for you until this matter is resolved.

 

Regards

Gareth Irving

ukcaravans4hire.com

[sailor sam]

Great! Looks like this will be resolved without you getting tough!

[fleaboobash]

Not heard anything yet...

[sailor sam]

If you hav'nt heard anything by the 10th October, email the agent agian saying if you don't receive confirmation of the booking within 14 days, you will wish to cancel and require your deposit to be refunded. At the same time, write to the caravan owner by recorded delivery (as she was the person you paid the deposit to) stating the same. You could add that you would prefer not to to have to chase this further as it is begining to incurr you further expence and inconvienience.

[fleaboobash]

I have emailed the website again to ask if they have had any joy contacting the caravan owner. Do you know if I have any rights to just go ahead and request a refund of my deposit and cancel my so called booking? I'm really unhappy with this and its really dampened my enthusiasm to use this caravan after all this.

[sailor sam]

I would give them untill the 10th and then email as I suggested. You never know, there may be a perfectly reasonable explaination for this; the owner may be ill for example.

 

However, if you feel you have lost confidence in the booking then by all means you have the right to cancel and ask for a refund.

[wesleyt43]

Hi, we own a caravan in skeggie on the Butlins site, and as soon as the person sends the deposit we send a receipt for payment and just a short note stating that their payment has been received, have you tried ringing the kingfisher site just to see if the person to who you sent the cheque to does actually own a van there, the number for the site is 01754 873 210‎, just say that you have made a booking for next year with someone and that you wish to verify that they own a van on site, Good luck anyway

[sailor sam]

Any news on this?